Khaberni - Abdullah Murqa
A complaint has reached the Khaberni website from a number of general practitioners at the Ministry of Health, related to the procedure for dealing with the results of the competitive residency exam held on January 30, which allowed doctors to compete for residency seats in medical specialties.
The doctors clarified in the complaint that approximately 1350 doctors applied for the exam, of which about 900 succeeded with varying grades between high and average, noting that the officially adopted pass mark is 60%.
According to the complaint, the Ministry of Health subsequently announced interview dates for the successful doctors, allocating Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for doctors who scored 84 and above, then 76 and above, while doctors who scored 75 and below up to the official pass mark (65), numbering about 400 doctors, were not called for interviews or to compete for residency seats.
The complainants questioned the fate of these successful doctors, affirming that excluding them from interviews despite passing the exam raises concerns and questions about the principle of equal opportunities.
The doctors also pointed out that, prior to the exam, physicians who had previously withdrawn or been dismissed from residency programs were allowed to enter the competitive exam, despite instructions – according to the complaint – that regulate or restrict the participation of these groups.
The complaint included a testimonial from one doctor who said he was arbitrarily dismissed (as he described) from the internal medicine residency program after being appointed as a resident doctor, stating that his plea for clemency submitted was not accepted, and despite his success in the recent residency exam, he was not allowed to be nominated for the interview without sufficient explanation.
The doctors added that a group of them contacted the Minister of Health to discuss the issue, however – according to what was stated in the complaint – he was not aware of the details, hence they were referred to the director of his office, Dr. Ammar Al-Dmour, who in turn redirected them to the head of the examination department, Dr. Reham Al-Hamoud.
According to the doctors, the relevant authority informed them that the Ministry of Health is "currently satisfied" and does not need additional numbers of resident doctors, indicating that the Minister might consider the possibility of making an exception.
The complainants questioned the basis upon which doctors who had previously resigned or withdrawn from residency were allowed to take the exam, in contrast to excluding hundreds of successful doctors from interviews, demanding an official and fair clarification that explains the selection mechanism and criteria, ensuring transparency and equal opportunities among all applicants.
Khaberni places this complaint before the relevant authorities, clearing the way for the Ministry of Health to clarify its position and respond to the doctors' inquiries.
